PERSONAL STORIES
Personal stories of travel and adventure from Carrie Kellenberger, a Canadian expat living in Asia since 2003.
Nine Months Later and The Cost of Leaving Taiwan
Nine months after leaving Taiwan with two suitcases, a suitcase full of medications, and my cats, I am still counting the cost of leaving. This is what it meant to walk away from a 23-year relationship, lose almost everything familiar, and begin rebuilding my life from the ground up.
The Invisible Weight of a Disabled Wife
A mop didn't really end my marriage. But it became a symbol of something much bigger. It's about how easily physical disability can be mistaken for dependence, while everything a disabled person contributes becomes invisible.
The Day I Was Supposed to Return to Taiwan
Today was the day I was supposed to return to Taiwan. I left with a return ticket and an impossible deadline: eight months to establish medical care, disability support, pension protection and a secure future in Canada. Within a few days of arriving in Canada, I knew I could never go back.
Chronic Illness and Disability: How Sick Do You Need To Be For Help?
How sick does a disabled person have to become before needing help is enough? I spent years working, paying enormous medical costs, managing complex illness, and asking directly for help while my capacity disappeared. Looking back, the hardest truth is that I was already there. I had been there all along.
Ownership, Labour, and Erasure at Reach To Teach Recruiting
For 16+ years, I helped build Reach To Teach Recruiting through ownership, writing, systems, teacher support, public-facing work, and years of invisible labour. This is a record of what I built, what I carried, and what I refuse to let disappear.
The Fear of Being Abandoned When You Are Sick
The fear of abandonment when you are sick is a personal essay about what happens when the person who promised to stand beside you remains physically present but withdraws care, safety, and support. During Disability Pride Month, I write about chronic illness, medical neglect, emotional abandonment, and the moment fear became recognition.
Signs of Life: The Quiet Work of Rebuilding After Repatriation
This is Part 4 in my Repatriation Series. Rebuilding after repatriation doesn’t happen all at once. It reveals itself in quiet moments: a growing healthcare team, new clients, a graduate school application, an accessible vehicle, a basement writing space, and the first real signs that hope, home, and a new future are beginning to take shape.
- DISABILITY, FEATURES, HOW TO ADVOCATE FOR YOURSELF, MILESTONES, PERSONAL STORIES, REPATRIATION, THE CM EFFECT
Rebuilding Trust in Systems
This is Part 3 in my Repatriation Series. After returning to Canada from Taiwan, I had to rebuild more than healthcare. I had to learn how Canadian systems worked, who could help, and what support looked like when I was no longer carrying everything alone.
